Iowa State at Kansas State Spread
Written by Jack Jones - Google +
The 16th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats close out their regular season Saturday with a showdown at home against the Iowa State Cyclones. With a win and a Oklahoma State loss, the Wildcats would clinch a share of their first Big 12 title since 2003. They have dominated this series with the Cyclones, winning three straight and six of the last seven. That includes a 27-20 home victory last season.
Odds makers in Las Vegas have set a line of Kansas State -10.5 over Iowa State and a total set of 53 points.
Kansas State
When head coach Bill Snyder decided to retire in 2005, he had led the Wildcats to 136 wins in 17 seasons. That nearly matched the total victories by this program over the previous 54 years. Ron Prince took over, going 17-20 in his three seasons on the job. Snyder returned in 2009, going 13-12 in his first two years. Kansas State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) has returned to being a contender in the conference this season. After back-to-back losses to then-No. 9 Oklahoma and then-No. 3 Oklahoma State, the Wildcats have managed to reel off two straight gutsy wins.
They beat Texas A&M at home 53-50 in four overtimes on November 12th, followed by a 17-13 road win at then-No. 23 Texas. They have had a bye week since beating the Longhorns, giving them the edge in rest and preparation heading into this contest with Iowa State. Like they’ve been doing all season, K-State found a way to win against Texas despite gaining just 121 total yards. Quarterback Collin Klein came up big, throwing a touchdown pass to Chris Harper in the final seconds of the first half. He would later rush for a 3-yard score in the third quarter. They held the Longhorns to 310 total yards while forcing two turnovers as well.
Kansas State ranks just 96th in the country in total offense (342.0 yards/game) and 73rd in total defense (401.5 yards/game). Those aren’t numbers you would expect from a 9-2 team, but they have been winning the turnover battle all season. Plus, they feature one of the best red zone offenses in the nation as well. A big reason for that is their ground attack, which ranks 30th in the FBS at 193.0 yards/game. Klein has been doing it all for this team. He is completing 58.5 percent of his passes for 1,587 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, while also rushing for a team-high 1,013 yards and 25 scores. John Hubert is second with 813 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Iowa State
The Cyclones came into the season with the second-most difficult schedule in the country. Iowa State (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) has overcome expectations, and they will be going to a bowl game for only the second time in six years. They have two wins over ranked foes this season. The Cyclones beat then-No. 19 Texas Tech 41-7 on October 29th, and then pulled off the upset of the year over then-No. 2 Oklahoma State 37-31 in double overtime on November 18th. Their upset bid fell short last weekend with a 26-6 loss at then-No. 12 Oklahoma.
Despite getting outgained 509-245 by the Sooners, Iowa State managed to hang around. Jared Barnett has averaged 200.0 passing yards and 77.6 rushing in his first five starts since taking over for Steele Jantz at quarterback. But Barnett was held to 125 passing yards in their loss to Oklahoma. The ISU defense did force four turnovers, while limiting the Sooners to just two touchdowns and four field goals. But the offense gave the ball away four times, which proved to be the difference.
This game against the Wildcats represents the seventh ranked opponent that the Cyclones have faced in their last nine games, a brutal stretch that is unmatched by any other team in the country. ISU comes in ranked 54th in the land in total offense (395.1 yards/game) and 99th in total defense (439.0 yards/game). Barnett has provided a nice spark, throwing for 1,025 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions, while also rushing for 409 yards and a score. James White leads all rushers with 660 yards and eight touchdowns. Darius Reynolds is their go-to receiver with 37 catches for 599 yards and seven scores.
Betting Trends
The Cyclones are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall, and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater.
The Wildcats are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall, and 17-5 ATS in their last 22 conference games.
Got something to say?
